What is the importance of coordination in management? (+5 characteristics)
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This blogpost shall be focused on explaining the importance of coordination in management. We shall also look at what coordination in management actually is and also the characteristics of coordination. Additionally, we shall also look at the various types of coordination that can occur in an organization.
What is the importance of coordination in management?
The importance of coordination in management can be explained through the following reasons:
It brings the organization together
Through coordination, the different levels and departments of the organization are brought closer together. Through this process, there are lesser barriers between functionalities and thus resources and information can be shared easily within the organization. Employees also feel more united when there is a well-lubed coordination process.
It improves the work efficiency
Work processes require the right personnel, tools, work spaces, information and various other resources. If these are not gathered together at the right time, it can lead to a decrease in the work efficiency and productivity of the employees. Through coordination, the employees are given the right tools to work, thus ensuring a smoother workflow.
It can build ideas and designs
Innovative and creative ideas can be generated from anywhere in the organization. The challenge is in bringing them together and building on them to create usable products and designs. Coordination as a process can help in bringing ideas together from every sector in the organization, helping to create meaningful and valuable products and services.
It helps the organization achieve its goals
The organization has its own short-term and long-term goals which it requires to achieve both for its profits as well as the livelihoods of its employees. Through coordination, team members can work harder together in order to achieve these goals as they are clear about their roles and the responsibilities they need to fulfill for these goals.
It can reduce conflicts in the workplace
Conflicts may occur at any time in the organization and can also have a wide variety of reasons. Many conflicts arise due to scheduling, assigning or basic coordination issues. When there is good coordination in the organization, the management have lesser conflicts to resolve and can focus on the other meaningful tasks in the company.
It directs the work processes
The work processes in the organization are essentially directed by coordination. Through coordination, departments can function in a smoother manner as they have access to the right resources like information and personnel, in order to achieve their goals. They can also easily coordinate with other departments to make positive changes in the organization.
It allows resources to be used carefully
Resources in an organization are always at risk of being consumed inappropriately. This not only refers to funds but even tools like office stationary, software, files, etc. However, by proper coordination practices, these resources are allocated carefully to the right people. It can also reduce the misappropriation of these resources.
What is coordination in management?
Through the process of coordination, individuals or employees in an organization are assisted to work together by proper planning and organizing. This helps the employees fulfill their individual responsibilities and achieve organizational goals and visions. Coordination as a function includes many other processes such as personnel, organizing, controlling, etc.
Coordination is required in every step of the organization’s growth and development. Through it, all the departments and sectors of the organization work in harmony and synchronization. Coordination is also highly important for reducing conflicts in the organization as well as decreasing wastage and for building positive relations in the company.
Characteristics of coordination
Coordination in an organization has many characteristics, of which the most important are:
Coordination does not stop or pause
Coordination is a continuous process in the organization. Basically, as long as the organization exists, coordination also does. However, sometimes coordination might be required more in one area than another. However it needs to be on-going in some form or the other. If coordination is missing at even one step, it can cause a lot of problems for the organization.
Coordination is required anywhere and everywhere
Coordination is not restricted to a specific area of the organization and is in fact required in every sector as well as employees. Coordination is thus pervasive everywhere. Through coordination, the departments and functionalities work in synchronization and unit in order to achieve the organizational goals.
Coordination requires everyone to pitch in
If only some people or a few departments in an organization are coordinating well, the organization might still face difficulties. This is because coordination requires everyone to work towards implementing and encouraging it in the organization. Coordination is therefore a group effort and not just one individual’s responsibility.
Coordination is the manager’s top duty
While coordination is the responsibility of everyone in the organization, it is the main duty of the managers. This can refer to the managers at various levels in the organization, be it the lower levels, the middle levels or the top levels of management. While the type of activities might be different across these levels, coordination is common to all of them.
Coordination is created through effort
Coordination does not happen by itself and is certainly not a by-product of any other activity. Coordination is indeed a deliberate function which means there needs to be deliberate action for it to occur in the organization. The effort has to also be put in by every department in the organization and not just a few individuals.
Types of coordination
The various types of coordination that can happen in an organization are explained in this section:
Vertical coordination
Vertical coordination is a type of internal coordination that happens inside an organization. Through vertical coordination, different hierarchical levels in the organization may coordinate with each other. This may serve various purposes such as giving instructions for various tasks, starting a new project or even processes like customer service.
Horizontal coordination
Horizontal coordination is also another type of internal coordination. This happens within employees of the same hierarchical level or status in the organization. This can occur within a particular team or even across different teams. This can also serve a variety of purposes like sharing of information and resources as well as training and development.
External coordination
External coordination happens when the organization interacts and forms relationships with other organizations or individuals. This is usually for the purpose of brand promotion or awareness, learning and training purposes, exchange of best practice and business expansion and growth. It can also be for the purpose of learning more about other competitors or customers.
Conclusion
This blogpost has focused on explaining the importance of coordination in management. We have also looked at what coordination in management actually is and also the different characteristics of coordination. In addition, we have also looked at the various types of coordination that can occur in an organization.
Frequently asked questions: (What is the importance of coordination in management?)
What are the four importance of coordination?
The four important reasons for coordination are:
There is interdependence in the organization
An organization has many employees and departments which are highly dependent on each other to function. For this, coordination is essential in the organization. Without proper coordination, there cannot be any inter-dependency in the organization, and actually lead to a breakdown of the work processes, leading to less productivity and reduced work efficiency.
There might be unplanned tasks often in the organization
Unplanned tasks or non-routine tasks might often come up in the organization. If there is no proper coordination, these tasks might not be fulfilled in the right manner. Through coordination, each and every task can be performed by an alternative employee, thus leading to less disruptions in work.
Coordination promotes group work
Through coordination, there is better group work among the various team members. This leads to more team cohesion which can create stronger and more resilient teams. Through the right group process or group work, there can be better work productivity and team spirit among the employees of the organization.
Adaptability and flexibility are essential
Organizations may need to adapt to trends and challenges often in their work processes. Those organizations which adapt quicker to risks and trends are the ones who emerge more successful. To increase their adaptability and flexibility, organizations require a lot of coordination between their employees and departments.
How do you improve coordination in the workplace?
Coordination can be improved by using the following strategies:
By clearly communicating the goals and responsibilities
For coordination to be improved in the organization, the employees need to clearly understand what the goals of the project are. Bonus points if the goal created is a smart goal. This means the goal needs to be highly specific, easily measurable, achievable and relatable. It also should have a deadline by which it should be achieved.
By opening up communication in the team
Communication is the key element for all the work processes in the organization. For coordination to be smooth, first the communication between team members or employees should be open and honest. This can be encouraged by having the leaders and managers demonstrate it first.
By using project management tools
The use of project management tools can also greatly improve the process of coordination in the organization. These tools have many features that allow smooth communication between employees, file and document sharing, tracking work progress and also the creation of charts and graphs.
By rewarding good coordination
Great coordination practices among team members and employees need to be recognized and acknowledged. Through this, the coordination practices can be modeled by other team members in the organization. Feedback also needs to be given regularly in order to guide the team members so that they coordinate properly with each other.
By creating a positive and supportive environment
By creating a positive and supportive environment, team members can be encouraged to coordinate and collaborate more with each other. This can also be helped by including fun projects and activities in the work environment.
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Citations
https://www.vedantu.com/commerce/importance-and-limitation-of-coordination
https://kalyan-city.blogspot.com/2011/05/importance-of-coordination-why-co.html
